Stage IV and need help on next options

leotorbk

(I am writing this for my wife)

I have been trying to beat this cancer with my current treatment of Keytruda + Herceptin along with Gemzar and Carboplatin.

Unfortunately, my tumors progressed in the brain and I had to go for repeat WBR. Then I developed weakness in my legs more pronounced in my left and about a week ago, could not get up from the floor. My husband brought me to the ER and they took X-rays and diagnosed a broken hip from the osseous mets.

They fixed that with a partial hip replacement, but the next morning I had lost sensation and motor ability on both legs. A spine MRI revealed that I now had mets in the T-spine. So I am currently undergoing radiation on those to see if I can shrink them and get the use of my legs back.

In the meantime with the repeat WBR and this current radiation, I have been off chemo for over 3 weeks and now the CTs show other metastases in the liver, lungs and pancreas are beginning to grow.

Deep in my heart, I still feel strong that I can beat this. But I need help with options as to what to try. Any suggestions welcome.

Bestbird

I am sorry to hear of all that your wife and yourself have been through. It sounds as though your wife's cancer is hormone receptor negative and HER2 positive, which would normally call for a treatment of Herceptin, Perjeta, and a Taxane chemotherapy such as Taxol. The fact that the bones are affected would also normally require a bone directed therapy such as Zometa or Xgeva.

With brain mets, intrathecal Herceptin can often be of help. You may want to visit the Brain Mets thread for firsthand experience and support at https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/777599?page=180#post_4974704

As always, obtaining a second medical oncologist's opinion, as well as that of a second radiation oncologist, may be of benefit.

Hoping for a smoother road ahead for you both!

leotorbk

Hi BestBird,

Thanks for your note. Yes, my wife's cancer is HER2+ and ER-/PR-. During the first diagnosis when it was stage 3, we did H+P+T. Since April 2016 when the cancer re-occured as stage 4 after mets to bone, brain, kidney and lungs, we have been on a variety of treatments but none that worked for her brain and CNS.

I will post on the brain mets thread as well as read though to see if I can get more ideas... thanks for your thoughts and hopes..